GIVEAWAY @ Truth Be Told

Truth Be Told is one of the many fabulous blogs I follow. The book reviews are amazing! If you head over there now you can enter to win Metric's new CD Fantasies. Metric is a Canadian rock band, most recently recognized for their song All Yours on the Eclipse soundtrack. Their music is amazing! Go check out their website here to listen to their music.

Book Blogger Hop

It's Friday!! This means Blog Hopping! Woohoo! The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. Every week she creates a question for all of us to answer and chat about! This week's question is:

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

My choice author isn't exactly new to me. I was introduced to Erin Healy through her co-authored books with Ted Dekker (Burn and Kiss). Two months ago Healy released her first solo novel, Never Let You Go. Her debut novel was fabulous! Her writing style transports the reader into the novel to feel the chill of the wind, the prickle of fear on the spine, and the emotions of the characters. I'm excited to experience more excellent novel form Healy. Her next novel, The Promises She Keeps, will be released in February.


If you're doing the hop, leave a comment so I know which blog you're from so that I can visit you back. :) Happy hopping!

Free Book Preview

If you're a fan of young adult fiction here is a chance to read an exciting new addition to bookshelves everywhere-for FREE! For a limited time, HarperTeen is giving everyone a chance to read Gillian Shields' new paranormal fantasy Immortal. Click here to read it! Below is a little bit about the book from Amazon:


Sensible Evie Johnson arrives alone to face her new life at the Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies. Raised by her beloved grandmother, Evie never wanted to attend boarding school, especially one for spoiled rich girls. But Frankie has fallen gravely ill and Evie's father is away in military service, so off to Wyldcliffe she goes. It is as horrible as Evie suspected it would be. The girls mistreat her, the headmistress is a nightmare, and she keeps seeing a girl who looks just like her. Evie's only joy comes from her budding romance with elusive Sebastian, who tells her that he lives near the school. Why will he only meet her at night? What does he know about the mysteries surrounding the school? And who is that shadowy girl? Billed as the first in a paranormal romance series, this lightweight story is filled with romance, mystery, and suspense. The moors provide plenty of atmosphere and Wyldcliffe Abbey and its teachers are downright spooky.–Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI

Giveaways, Giveaways, Giveaways!

Winning books is awesome fun and there are a couple giveaways around the blog universe.

Alexandra over @ The Publication Follies of Alexandra Shostak is giving away some really great dark fantasy books! One of which I'm so excited about: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto! I've been so excited for this one because it has the romance aspect between and an angel and a mortal as well as danger in the form of a new town arrival! Be quick to enter because it ends July 27th!


In addition, Carol @ Carol's Prints is giving away 7 ARCs including Torment by Lauren Kate and Halo by Alexandra Adornetto! Totally thrilled for these! There are many others including a signed copy of the hugely anticipated book Matched by Ally Condie! Hurry over there to enter-it ends August 9th!

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Well, my first official book giveaway (The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer) is complete and went fabulous! A BIG THANKS to all who entered and participated as well as a HUGE WELCOME to all new followers! Thanks to all the followers of this blog! Without waiting any longer, here is the winner!

CONGRATULATIONS...


Heather (ham1299)!!!!!


*I will be emailing you shortly! :)

GIVEAWAY @ Babbling Flow

We all love to win books to read and Sara over @ Babbling Flow is hosting an AMAZING book giveaway! She has 7 ARCs up for grabs. These include: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Firelight by Sophie Jordan, Halo by Alexandra Adornetto, Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers, The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff, and Torment by Lauren Kate. This giveaway ends August 6th so hurry and enter!

HURRY to WIN!

Today is the LAST day to enter to win a copy of Stephenie Meyer's novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. The story is a great addition to the Twilight Saga! It ENDS TONIGHT @ 11:59 pm MDT so hurry and enter here!

****This giveaway is now closed.****

Current Coffee Concoction (4)

My latest current coffee concoction isn't mine at all. Thanks to the author of the Coffeehouse Mystery, Cleo Coyle (pen name for Alice Alfonsi), we can now all enjoy a Starbucks frappe without paying $5 each time! I've made this myself and can tell you it is fabulous! Below is the recipe for Cleo's Copycat Frappuccino a.k.a. Chilly Cleoccino. Click here for the original posting and a chance to win a free latte cup and saucer. Enjoy!



Photo and recipe from Mystery Lover's Kitchen Blog:

Serves: This recipe will make one 8-ounce serving.
For a larger drink, or to serve more people, you can easily double,
triple, or quadruple it.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coffee (makes about 4 coffee ice cubes)

1/3 cup milk (low fat is fine)

2 teaspoons sugar (more if you like sweeter drinks)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
whipped cream (optional)

Fill an ice cube tray with leftover coffee. Freeze the tray. Remove four coffee ice cubes (per 8-ounce serving) and place in blender. Add milk, sugar, vanilla, and (optional) cocoa for a chocolate frappé. Pulse the blender to chop the coffee ice cubes into fine particles.

You can create an icy drink with very small ice chips (like a frozen margarita) or you can run the blender full speed until the mixture is completely liquefied yet still cold and frothy. The drink is delicious either way and a great use of your leftover Joe. To finish, pour this frozen refresher into a glass mug, top with whipped cream, and…

Drink with joy!

Sea of Storms-Review

Title: Lodestone Book One: Sea of Storms
Author: Mark Whiteway
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing, 2010
Pages: 290
ISBN: 1602645469


From Amazon:

Alli-Kar, a white-hole portal from another universe, rains meteoroids onto the surface of the planet Kelanni. But the so-called "lodestones" behave according to different physical laws, transforming Kelanni's society. With the aid of the fearsome Keltar in their flying cloaks, the Kelanni are being put to forced labor to mine the lodestones. Shann, an orphan with a fiery disposition, witnesses a battle between a Keltar and a stranger bearing a similar flying cloak. She tracks down the stranger, and learns of the technology behind the Keltars' power, joining him on a mission to free the slaves and cut off their supply of lodestones. Meanwhile Keris, a Keltar, is sent on a mission to track down the rebels. She is attacked by a flying creature and saved by the enigmatic Chandara. At their Great Tree, she learns that a mysterious "Prophet" is out to destroy the Kelanni people. Their only hope is a powerful instrument hidden in the distant past. Pursued by Keltar, the party will encounter bizarre creatures, ancient technologies and terrifying dangers. Finally, they must seek to cross a massive storm barrier in order to reach the other side of their world, where a world-shaking revelation awaits.



The rebels are forming and plotting by their leader known only as "The Prophet." The Kelanni are being forced to harvest the lodestones. When Keris, a Keltar questioning her work for "The Prohpet," learns that the Kelanni people are in more trouble than is realized, she sets out to find a way to save them. The journey takes a group of five, including Keris, Shann-a village girl, and Boxx-a creature with powers, on an adventure that will reveal astonishing truths and dangerous encounters.

Author Mark Whiteway makes his novel debut with the first book in his Lodestone series. He creates a fantastical world that is easy to get sucked into. The plot is unique and easily keeps the attention of the reader. Whiteway's writing is smooth and consistent. It has the simplicity to hold the attention of kids and teens while weaving in ideas to appeal to adults as well. The characters more than simple creations. Whiteway creates characters that the reader will love and root for. This is the first book in a series that will surely be loved by children, teens, and adults!


My rating: 4 lattes due to page-turning intrigue, excellent writing, and thrilling adventure! What a fun read!



*This book was given to me for review courtesy of author Mark Whiteway. Thanks Mark!

Creatures Taking Over!

Since vampires and werewolves took over the majority of the universe as of late, many classic stories are being rewritten and retold to incorporate these mythology obsessions. Some of the classics include Little Women and Werewolves and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Personally, I have yet to read any of the rewritten stories. It appears no author is safe from the creatures of myth because in August a new classic is coming out with a twist if vampire. Shakespeare's tale of forbidden lovers is being revamped into Romeo and Juliet and Vampires. Though I have not read the twisted classics, this one sparks my interest because I am a huge fan of Shakespeare's work, particularly Romeo and Juliet. A new trailer for the vampire-ized Shakespeare classic is attached to this blog-click here to watch it. What do you think? Is it something you'll be interested in reading? Have you read any other classic books that incorporate zombies or werewolves?

GIVEAWAY Reminder!!!!

Only 3 more days to enter to win a copy of Stephenie Meyer's novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. It ends July 25th which is Sunday, so hurry and enter here!




****This giveaway is now closed.****

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading. Just grab your current read, open to a random page, include the title and author, and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. Be careful not to include spoilers! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)




Truth, after all, was the slickest axle grease a wheel of lies could spin on. And this one was rolling right along.


Title: Never Let You Go
Author: Erin Healy
Page: 243

Deadly Little Secret-Review

Title: Deadly Little Secret
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Genre: YA/Paranormal
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH, 2009
Pages: 272
ISBN: 1423111982


From Amazon:


Some secrets shouldn't be kept...

Until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia’s life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades, an okay relationship with her parents, and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when a mysterious boy named Ben starts junior year at her high school, Camelia’s life becomes anything but ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend’s accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She’s reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead, she’s inexplicably drawn to Ben…and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help—but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.



Secrets don't make friends, or do they? That seems to be the underlying question in this book. Camelia meets Ben, who definitely has secrets, and the two engage in a teeter totter, on-again off-again friendship. Ben's secrets might tear him away from Camelia, but not if Camelia's secret tears her away from Ben first.

I can't recall why or how I picked this book. I think I kept seeing it as a "other customers who enjoyed this item also enjoyed.." recommendation. It makes no difference if I can remember why or how I decided to buy this book, just that I bought it! Stolarz did a fabulous job! The story was completely engrossing. Camelia and Ben's characters were very well-written as were the secondary characters-specifically Wes and Kimmie, Camelia's riotous friends. Camelia's is artistic and thoughtful while Ben is mysteriously broken. The story is mainly told from Camelia's POV but throughout the book several journal entries are written by an unknown author. This unknown journal-writing author has dangerously hidden feelings and desires to display them. The fact that not only is Ben mysterious with unknown secrets, but there is another anonymous admirer of Camelia, had me eating this book up. I devoured this first book to find out Ben's past and present secrets all the while trying to figure out who the anonymous journal writer was. The entire book is nicely paced without dull or dragging parts.

Many reviews I read likened this book to Twilight. Yes, there are definite similarities but the differences outweigh the similarities by a long shot! I recommend not getting sucked into the belief that this book is like Twilight (I'm a huge Twi fan by the way). Enjoy this book as a separate entity-I know I sure did! Don't pass this one up!


My rating: 4 lattes because it was an intriguing mystery that left me wanting more. I became completely engrossed in the story, which had me eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened next.



Recommendations for similar books: Fallen by Lauren Kate & The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick...


From Amazon:

It's her destiny to die young. The man who loves her can't live with that.

Promise, a talented young vocalist with a terminal illness, is counting on fame to keep her memory alive after she dies. Porta is an aging witch and art collector in search of the goddess who will grant her immortality.

When Promise inexplicably survives a series of freak accidents, Porta believes that Promise is the one she seeks. But Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and opposes Porta, comes between the women with his mysterious visions and drawings, and plunges everyone into a flesh-and-blood confrontation over the true meaning of eternal life.

Title: The Promises She Keeps
Author: Erin Healy
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 8, 2011)
Pages: 352
ISBN: 1595547517


The best part is that the author has posted the first 3 chapters on her facebook page! It sounds amazing! Go check it out here!

Giveaway

****This giveaway is now closed.****


I'm happy to announce my very first giveaway! I want to thank all of my followers thus far! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Without you, this blog would be nonexistent. If you are a new follower, Welcome!


The Prize:

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer (Hardcover)





The Rules:

-You MUST be a follower of this blog (old or new).

-Giveaway ends July 25th at 11:59 pm MDT. Winner will be contacted on or before July 27th.

-One winner will be selected (using random.org) and emailed & must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

-Open to US residents only (non-US residents may enter if a friend in the US can receive the prize by mail for you).

-Must fill out the form below to enter (comments, though always welcome, will not enter you in this contest).


Click HERE to fill out the form to enter this giveaway!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick...


From Amazon:

When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance.

Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives.

Title: Timeless
Author: Alexandra Monir
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 11, 2011)
Pages: 288
ISBN: 0385738382

What are you waiting for?

GIVEAWAY: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

****This giveaway is now closed.****


Happy Independence Day!!!

I thought the 4th would be a fun day to begin my very first giveaway! I want to thank all of my followers thus far! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Without you, this blog would be nonexistent. If you are a new follower, Welcome!


The Prize:

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer (Hardcover)





The Rules:

-You MUST be a follower of this blog (old or new).

-Giveaway ends July 25th at 11:59 pm MDT. Winner will be contacted on or before July 27th.

-One winner will be selected (using random.org) and emailed & must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

-Open to US residents only (non-US residents may enter if a friend in the US can receive the prize by mail for you).

-Must fill out the form below to enter (comments, though always welcome, will not enter you in this contest).


Click HERE to fill out the form to enter this giveaway!




*I reserve the right to pick another winner if the chosen winner does not meet the required rules and I am not responsible for lost/unreceived or damaged prizes.

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and I've decided to take part! This will include books I've bought/won over the past week. I kind of went a little crazy and bought a couple books. What did you get this week?